One of the often-mentioned benefits of strip-till is its adaptability to different regions, climates and soil types. That’s not to say success is universal, but advantages tied to soil strength and fertilizer retention can offer enough incentive to at least experiment with a system.

Flexibility is a big benefit strip-tillers often point to when adopting the system, and timing berm-building to match field conditions is essential to creating an ideal seedbed.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to spend a few days visiting several strip-tillers in eastern Nebraska, in the aftermath of severe storms that pummeled the area. Driving along the county roads between Lincoln and Omaha, a common sight was washed out areas in farm fields.

The science behind sugar application is pretty simple, says Persia, Iowa, farmer Bill Darrington. For example, applying roughly 1 pound per acre during a pre-emergence herbicide application can alter the carbon-nitrogen ratio in corn residue and help it breakdown faster.

Spring planting is off to an encouraging start in many areas after a prolonged stretch of wet weather, especially in the Midwest. Last week, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey estimated that about 13% of the state’s corn had been planted.

One of the primary benefits farmers often point to with strip-till is yield consistency. In talking with both experienced and new strip-tillers, many often cite year-over-year corn yield averages that may vary by only a bushel or two, compared to more dramatic variability with other tillage methods.

With the environmental impact of farming practices on the national radar, strip-tillers often credit their transition to the practice — and specifically banding nutrients — as potential insulation from future restrictions for when, where and how much fertilizer can be applied.

As a niche farming practice, strip-till requires an intimate understanding of how different parts of the system correlate to an overall objective, whether it’s increasing yields, improving soil health, targeting fertilizer application — or all three.